Photography Nicholas Hunt/ Patrick McMullan.com

Gerard Butler knows a thing or two about action flicks. "When you tell a story that has the audience on the edge of their seat and their heart pounding, it does the same to you," he explained at The Cinema Society screening of Olympus Has Fallen Monday night at the Tribeca Grand, also hosted by Roger Dubuis and Grey Goose.

Aaron Eckhart, who plays the President in the film, reminds director Antoine Fuqua of John F. Kennedy. "Handsome, but tough. Plus, he's got that chin, that strong jaw," said Fuqua.

In the theater, Butler sat in the middle of the audience as we cheered at each ruthless, but necessary takedown (many stabbings, more gunfire), victorious quip, and defiant "fuck you" to anyone standing in his character Mike Banning's way.

Then there was Fuqua's favorite scene to shoot, "the attack on the White House," which also the most challenging. How would he redecorate if he moved in? "Have you seen my movie?" Well, we did, and the obliteration of the literal Olympus (the Secret Service's code name for the White House) was, as promised, thorough and fiery.

Following the screening, the crowd rushed uptown to The Darby for dancing and Grey Goose cocktails. Notable attendees included Angela Bassett, who starred with Butler in the film, Alan Siegel, the producer, as well as Mira Sorvino, Paul Haggis, Debbie Harry, and Catherine Malandrino.

Jim Gaffigan, in particular, was excited to be in the company of Butler. "Oh, he is so hot. I've loved him ever since that movie where he wore the cufflinks, and tried to kidnap Julia Roberts. That was a thing, right?" Though we were not sure it was a thing, we all could agree that Butler was very attractive.

With the general merriment in the air, guests proved that, whether good guy or bad, at the end of the night we can still all party together. —Rachel Small